Fire-resistant enclosure



Dec. 20, 1966 A. s. RlFKlN 3,292,743

FIRE-RESISTANT ENCLOSURE Filed June 1, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

ARNOLD S. RIFKIN ATTORNEY Dec. 20, 1966 A. s. RIFKIN 3, 2,

FIRERES I STANT ENCLOSURE Filed June 1, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.ARNOLD S. RIFKIN Ma. FM

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,292,748 FIRE-RESISTANT ENCLOSURE ArnoldS. Rifkin, 200 Riverside Drive, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18702 Filed June 1,1964, Ser. No. 371,557 4 Claims. (Cl. 190--53) This invention relatesgenerally to fire-resistant enclosures, and is especially concerned witha highly improved openable closure for fire-resistant enclosures.

While the device of the present invention has been primarily developedand employed as a receptacle or bag for protecting irreplaceablematerial in transit, and is illustrated and described hereinafter withparticular reference thereto, it is appreciated that the invention iscapable of many varied applications, all of which are intended to becomprehended herein.

In the transportation of irreplaceable records, documents, and the like,the hazard of damage by fire is of great concern. There have in the pastbeen provided a variety of fire-resistant receptacles or bags intendedfor this purpose. In such bags, the region of bag opening was often thatof least resistance to heat and fire, and therefore required theaddition of relatively expensive and cumbersome flaps, or other suchstructure to increase protection in this area.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide afire-resistant bag of the type described which effectively overcomes theabove-mentioned difiiculties, and produces an enclosure or bag ofconsiderably greater resistance to heat and fire than was heretoforepossible, and eliminates the previous need for flaps overlying theregion of bag opening.

It is another object of the present invention to provide afire-resistant bag construction having the advantageous characteristicsmentioned in the preceding paragraph, which greatly facilitates use,enabling a user to merely open and close the bag in the same manner aswith conventional, non-fire-resistant bags, while providing theaforementioned greatly enhanced fire protection.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide afire-resistant enclosure of the type described which is extremely simplein construction, durable and reliable throughout a long useful life, andwhich can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon readingthe following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings,which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view showing a fireresistant bagconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention,the bag being illustrated as partially open;

FIGURE 2 is a partial top plan view of the bag of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken generallyalong the line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial plan view taken generally along the line 4-4 ofFIGURE 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically toFIGURE 1 thereof, an enclosure or bag is there generally designated andmay be fabricated of suitable flexible sheet material, as will appearmore fully hereinafter. The bag 10 may include a bottom or bottom wall11, and upward extensions on opposite sides thereof providing a pair ofside walls 12. A top wall 13 is provided spaced over the bottom wall 11and extending laterally between opposite side walls 12, while dependingextensions at oppoosite ends of the top wall define a pair of end walls14. The top wall 13 and end walls 14 may be subdivided by a continuousopening 15 extending be tween opposite ends of the bottom wall 11 inspaced relation between the edges of side walls 12. Thus, the top wall13 and end walls 14 are separable, the top wall being subdivided into apair of wall portions 16 each adjacent to one side wall 12, and the endwalls being subdivided into a pair of wall portions 17, each adjacent toa respective side wall.

Along the edges of each wall portion 13 and its adja cent wall portions16 are provided fastener fabrics 20 and 21. That is, one fastener fabric20 extends along the continuous edge defined by integral wall portions16 and 17, and the other fastener fabric 21 extends along the continuousedge defined by the other integral wall portions 16 and 17. The fastenerfabrics 20 and 21 are complementary or mating and of the type disclosedin US. Patent No. 2,717,437 and sold under the trademark Velcro.

Also secured along the continuous edges of integral wall portions 16 and17 are mating slide-fastener elements 22 and 23 carrying a slider 24. Aslider lock 25 may be secured in the opening 15 at one end thereof,adjacent to the bottom wall 11 for releasably locking the slider 24 inits fully closed position. The slider lock 25 may advantageously be ofthe type disclosed in US. Patent No. 1,950,415 and sold under thetrademark Arcolock. The slider lock 25 may -be key operated, as by akey-receiving plug 26, and include a movable locking head 27 forreleasably locking the slider 24 in a recessed anvil 28.

Secured to respective end-wall portion 17, adjacent to and on oppositesides of the slider lock 25 may be a pair of flexible cover elements orflaps 30 and 31. The flaps 30 and 31 are swingable between theirillustrated open position extending away from the end wall 14 and aclosed position overlying each other and the slider lock 25. One of theflaps 30 is provided on its outer surface, along its swinging edge witha strip of fastener fabric 32, while the other flap 31 is provided onits inner surface adjacent to its swinging edge with a strip ofcomplementary fastener fabric 33. When the flaps 30 and 31 are swunginto partially overlying relation to place the fastener fabrics 32 and33 into facing engagement, the latter are effectively secured togetherto protect and conceal the slider lock 25. The slider lock 25 may befixed in position by bolting to a base 35 which is fixed to the bottomwall 11 by suitable fastener means 36.

The wall portions 16, together with the fastener fabrics 20 and 21, andslide-fastener elements 22 and 23, are all shown in greater detail inFIGURES 3 and 4.

In particular, each wall portion 16 may be fabricated of outer and innerlayers 40 and 41 of flexible sheet matrial, such as army duck. The outerlayers 40 are advantageously of heavy, fire-resistant army duck, whilethe inner layers 41 are preferably of 10.38 army duck. Sandwichedbetween the outer and inner layers 40 and 41 of each wall portion 16 isa center or core layer 42 of heat-insulating or refractory material,such as aluminumresin-coated asbestos. The wall portions 16, whileflexible, are possessed of a degree of stiffness sufficient for purposesappearing presently.

In a closed condition shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the wall portions 16 arein substantial alignment with their edges 43 in adjacent facingrelation. Further, the edge 43 of one wall portion 16, the right-handportion as seen in FIGURE 3, is covered or bound with a strip of male 3fastener fabric 20, while the adjacent edge of left-hand wall portion 16is covered or bound with a strip of female fastener fabric 21. The stripof fastener fabric 20 thus extends in covering relation along itsadjacent wallportion edge 43 and overlies the adjacent edge margins ofsheets 40 and 41, being secured in position by a line of stitching 44extending along and spaced from the adjacent edge 43. Similarly, thefastener-fabric strip 21 covers the edge 43, of the left-hand wallportion 16, extending therealong, and overlies the adjacent edge marginsof outer and inner layers or sheets 40 and 41, being secured in positionby a line of stitching 45 extending along and spaced from the adjacentedge 43. In the illustrated, closed position of FIGURE 3, thefastener-fabric portions covering the edges 43 are in facing engagementwith each other and thereby effectively secured together.

The slide-fastener elements 22 are carried by a flexible striporstringer 48 extending longitudinally along and overlying thefastener-fabric strip 20. The outer side margin of stringer or strip 48may be covered with a binding 49 and secured to the adjacent nether wallportion 16 by a line of stitching 50. The stitching 50 thus extendslongitudinally along the edge 43 of the right-hand wall portion 16, asseen in FIGURE 4, and is spaced inwardly therefrom beyond the fastenerfabric 20.

Similarly, the slide-fastener elements 23 are carried by an elongatestrip or stringer 51 having an edge margin thereof covered by a binding52 and secured by a line of stitching 53 which extends longitudinallyalong and is spaced from the edge 43 of the left-hand wall portion 16beyond the fastener fabric 21.

In operation, mere closure of the slide-fastener ele- I ments 22 and 23by conventional movement of slider 24 serves to draw togetherwall-portion edges 43 and secure fastener fabrics 20 and 21 by facingengagement thereof, as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Facing engagement andsecurement of fastener fabrics 20 and 21 by closing movement of slider24 is assured by the stiffness of the wall portions 16 between thesecurement stitches 50 and 53, and the edges 43. Further, even uponflexure of the top bag wall 13, with the latter in closed condition, thefasbag opening 15 is closed.

This structure, including the slide-fastener elements 22, 23 securedoutwardly of the wall portions 16, and the wall-portion edges 43 securedby the fastener fabric 20, 21 inwardly of the slide-fastener elementshas been proved of greatly increased fire resistance over the priorflaptype bag construction.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides afire-resistant enclosure or bag which fully accomplishes its intendedobjects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufactureand use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, itis understood that certain changes and modifications may be made withinthe spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1: I a fi es ta t en lesvr the nati a 9 11* prising a pair offire-resistant walls movable into and out of edge-to-edge relation,slide-fastener means on said walls and closable to move the walls intoand releasably retain the walls in said relation, and complementaryfastener fabrics on the edges of said walls and movable therewith intosecured relation upon closing of said slide-fastener means, saidslide-fastener means being secured to the outer sides of said wallsalong securement lines spaced from the adjacent wall edges, and saidwalls being of suflicient stiffness to extend toward each other betweensaid securement lines, said walls each including outer and inner.

layers of flexible sheet material, and a core layer of asbestos materialsandwiched between said outer and inner layers.

3. A fireproof bag comprising a receptacle fabricated of flexible sheetmaterial and having wall portions movable into and out of a closedadjacent edge-to-edge rela- 7 tion, complementary slide-fastenerelements secured to the outer sides of respective wall portions alongand spaced from the adjacent'edges thereof and closable to move saidwall portions into and releasably retain the wall portions in saidrelation, and complementary fastener fabrics on respective adjacentedges of said wall portions and movable therewith into securedengagement upon closure of said slide-fastener elements, said fastenerfabrics each being bound about the edge of a respective wall portion forfacing engagement of said fastener fabrics with said wall portions inedge-to-edge relation and upon flexure of said wall portions.

4. A fireproof bag comprising a receptacle fabricated of flexible sheetmaterial and having wall portions movable into and out of a closedadjacent edge-to-edge relation, complementary slide-fastener elementssecured to the outer sides of respective wall portions along and spacedfrom the adjacent edges thereof and closable to move said wall portionsinto and releasably retain the wall portions in said relation, andcomplementary fastener fabrics on respective adjacent edges of said wallportions and movable therewith into secured engagement upon closure ofsaid slide-fastener elements, said wall portions each including outerand inner layers of flexible sheet material, and a core layer ofasbestos material sandwiched between said outer and inner layers, saidwall portions being of suflicient stiffness to extend toward each otherbetween the regions of securement of said slidefastener elements.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,681,923 8/1928Collins 19041 1,991,943 2/ 1935 Keviczky 19041 2,561,891 7/1951 Tucker.2,674,289 4/1954 Silverman -3 3,143,748 8/1964 Manning 1 3,185,1985/1965 Bryon 19053 JOSEPH R. LECLALR, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A FIRE-RESISTANT ENCLOSURE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A PAIR OFFIRE-RESISTANT WALLS MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OIF EDGE-TO-EDGE RELATION,SLIDE-FASTENER MEANS ON SAID WALLS AND CLOSABLE TO MOVE THE WALLS INTOAND RELEASABLY RETAIN THE WALLS IN SAID RELATION, AND COMPLEMENTARYFASTENER FABRICS ON THE EDGES OF SAID WALLS AND MOVABLE THEREWITH INTOSECURED RELATION UPON CLOSING OF SAID SLIDE-FASTENER MEANS, SAIDFASTENER FABRICS EACH BEING BOUND ABOUT THE EDGE OF A RESPECTIVE WALLFOR FACING EMGAGEMENT OF SAID FASTENER FABRICS WITH SAID WALLS INEDGE-TO-EDGE RELTION AND UPON FLEXURE OF SAID WALLS.